Cheesemakers worry about losing the products' terroir

In the pastures of northeastern Vermont, Jasper Hill Farm's Ayrshire cows feast on grass and clover, producing a fresh, sweet milk that fuels some of the country's most beloved cheeses.

MICHELE KAYAL

In the pastures of northeastern Vermont, Jasper Hill Farm's Ayrshire cows feast on grass and clover, producing a fresh, sweet milk that fuels some of the country's most beloved cheeses.

"Our approach is to distill the landscape," says Mateo Kehler, cheesemaker and co-founder of the creamery. "The cow goes out on fresh grass after every milking, harvests that grass and brings it to the farm. We take that and turn it into a cheese that really is reflective of the geography and climate that we live in. It is a taste of place."

Except that food safety officials say it also is a potential source of dangerous pathogens like E. coli and salmonella.

Kehler and other artisanal cheesemakers swear by "raw" milk — straight-from-the-udder and unpasteurized — saying it gives their products personality and depth of character by retaining the good bacteria that otherwise are killed during pasteurization. Selling raw milk is illegal in most states, but federal law allows cheese made from raw milk as long as it is aged for 60 days, a period intended to kill harmful bacteria.

But the Food and Drug Administration is re-examining its regulations, a move that has caused concern among cheese makers. They worry that the agency will lengthen the mandatory aging period or, possibly, ban raw-milk cheeses altogether. FDA officials are meeting next week in Washington with members of the American Cheese Society to discuss the issues.

"We'd like to know more about any pending regulatory changes that may occur and how we can help prepare our cheesemakers," says Christine Hyatt, president of the 1,200-member group. "I would hope that we can work together to create some standards and safety protocols for cheesemakers that would not require additional regulatory changes."

An outright ban would remove some of the world's most famous cheeses from American shelves: Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gruyere and Roquefort all are made with raw milk. But even extending the aging period, cheesemakers and experts say, could leave a notable hole on your cheeseboard.

"Over the years we've developed a number of American treasures that have really become part of the larger food movement," says Rob Kaufelt, proprietor of New York's Murray's Cheese shops.

Aging cheeses allows the acids and salts in it to kill harmful bacteria. Advocates of longer aging say more time could kill more bacteria. But opponents cite studies that suggest older cheese is not necessarily safer. At least one study found that E. coli can survive in cheese for more than a year.

At Meadow Creek Dairy in southwest Virginia, cheesemaker Helen Feete and her daughter Kat produce Grayson, a supple, pungent cheese reminiscent of Italian taleggio that has won prizes from the American Cheese Society five years running. Coaxing the cheese and its pliant rind to survive the 60-day mark was the greatest challenge in creating it, says Kat Feete, and having to push it even further would send them back to the drawing board.

"We're already very limited by the 60-day rule in what we can do," says Feete, noting that the new product probably would be stronger and very different from the prize-winning Grayson. "I would have to start the whole process of figuring out our cellars and our cheesemaking procedure almost from scratch."

Jasper Hill's Kehler says he already has sacrificed one cheese to the 60-day rule. Constant Bliss, a rich, buttery concoction with a bloomy rind, went to pasteurized milk last year, Kehler says, because aging the raw milk to 60 days left very little shelf life for consumers. The farm's prize-winning Bayley Hazen Blue, a gentle blue-veined cheese laced with hints of licorice that is in demand at high-end cheese shops, would be in the same position if the aging period is extended, Kehler says.

And the farm's Winnimere, a spruce-wrapped spoonable cheese that has acquired a cult following, would simply disappear. "It would be over," Kehler says.

These soft cheeses are the most vulnerable since their character is tied to a short aging period. Another spoonable cheese that likely would perish is Rush Creek Reserve, a savory, custard-like cheese from Wisconsin's award-winning Uplands Cheese.

"It was difficult to figure out how to get it to 60 days because it's designed to be younger than that," says cheesemaker Andy Hatch, noting that Rush Creek Reserve is in its first year of production. "We would either have to stop making it or would have to pasteurize, which would totally change the character of the cheese. I'm not sure we would do it."

An outright ban on raw milk cheeses also would cost Uplands its Pleasant Ridge Reserve, an Alpine-style cheese like Gruyere with notes of broth and butterscotch that has won the American Cheese Society's Best of Show three times, more than any other cheese. In 2010, it beat 1,400 competitors.

Rogue River Blue, a woodsy, aromatic blue cheese from Oregon's Rogue Creamery that is wrapped in brandy-soaked vine leaves, also would disappear. It has been hailed by Fairway Markets' master cheesemonger Steve Jenkins as "the most complex amalgam of flavors in the entire realm of gastronomy." The cheese is also becoming "the ambassador for the American cheese movement," says creamery president David Gremmels. Rogue River Blue, he says, was recently added to the roster of the famous Parisian cheese shop Laurent Dubois.

Critics of extending the aging period say banning raw-milk cheeses would throw the baby out with the bath water. Instead, many cheesemakers and their advocates say they would like to fortify the safety and testing procedures that many of them already practice.

In France, Kaufelt says, thousands of tiny producers — "kitchens, back room operations" — function under the same rules of sanitation as the large producers. "If those small cheese makers can do it without customers worrying about what they're buying or eating, then certainly we should be able to do the same thing here," he says.

Ratatouille is a classic French country dish of vegetables cooked in their own juices until tender. Taking the same classic flavors, we layered the vegetables with cheese in a gratin-like dish. Comte is a nutty semi-firm cheese from eastern France. If you can't find comte, Gruyere is a good substitute.

Ratatouille Gratin

Start to finish: 1 hour 15 minutes (30 minutes active) Servings: 8

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

14 1/2-ounce can chopped tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted, drained

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 small summer squash, sliced into thin rounds

2 small zucchini, sliced into thin rounds

2 Japanese eggplants, sliced into thin rounds

1 1/2 cups Comte cheese

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large, deep skillet over medium, heat the olive oil. Add the onions, garlic and bell pepper. Saute for 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender. Add the basil, thyme, tomatoes, vinegar, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread a third of the tomato mixture over the bottom of a deep 10-inch pie pan or 2-quart casserole dish. Using a third of each vegetable, arrange one layer each of squash, zucchini and eggplant rounds over the tomato mixture, alternating vegetables and overlapping slightly. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese over that. Repeat the layering in that order two more times, ending with cheese. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife. Increase the heat to broil and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes to lightly brown the top. Per serving: 188 cal; 95 calfrom fat (48 percent of total calories); 11 g fat (4 g sat; 0 g trans fats); 22 mg chol; 17 g carb; 9 g protein; 7 g fiber; 277 mg sodium.

To assemble the sandwich, spread 1 tablespoon of apricot preserve on each slice of bread. Sprinkle one slice with the blue cheese, then top with the prosciutto. Sprinkle with black pepper and top with the other slice of bread, preserves to the inside. Brush each side of the sandwich with the olive oil. Using a panini press or a skillet, cook the sandwich 3 to 4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown. If using a skillet, flip the sandwich after 2 minutes. Per serving: 566 cal; 197 cal from fat (35 percent of total calories); 22 g fat (5 g sat; 0 g trans fats); 35 mg chol; 71 g carb; 20 g protein; 2 g fiber; 1,365 mg sodium.

Our quiche takes a trip to Italy to show off the creamy cheese called fontina. We pair it with bacon and chard, but you also could use pancetta and spinach or another green. Be sure to cook any meats or vegetables prior to adding them to the egg base. And after cooking the vegetables, drain any excess moisture, as that will interfere with the setting up of the custard.

Bacon, Chard and Fontina Quiche

Start to finish: 1 hour. Servings: 8

1 purchased refrigerated pie crust

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 bunch Swiss chard, tough stems removed, chopped

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

1 1/2 cups shredded fontina cheese

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a deep-dish pie plate or a quiche pan with the pie crust, crimping or trimming the edge. Place the pan on a baking sheet, then set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high, cook the bacon until crispy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and continue to cook until the chard is tender, about another 7 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to drain any excess liquid. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, salt, pepper and thyme. Add the cheese to the chard and bacon, then transfer the mixture to the prepared pie crust. Pour the egg mixture into the crust and gently stir to eliminate any large clumps or air bubbles. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F, then bake until the center is set, about another 40 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Enjoy warm or cool. Refrigerate any leftovers. Per serving: 368 cal; 243 calfrom fat (66 percent of total calories); 27 g fat (13 g sat; 0 g trans fats); 214 mg chol; 17 g carb; 14 g protein; 1 g fiber; 604 mg sodium.